Brewster can clinch another league title

BREWSTER, N.Y. - Brewster High football coach Brian Walsh didn't forecast his team taking a 5-0 record into tonight's battle for League A-A supremacy against Horace Greeley-Chappaqua.

"I'm kind of surprised. Like I said earlier in the season our offensive and defensive lines were major rebuilding projects. We just had a lot of question marks," Walsh said. "So we're very pleased.

"We're not a dominant team. We have to work for everything we get," he added.

Brewster, which would clinch the league title with a victory over the visiting Quakers (4-1), has kept opponents guessing with a balanced offense and shut them down with an undersized but highly active defense.

The blossoming of junior quarterback
Jeff Rich
, combined with the development of some newcomers on defense, helped the Bears erase their preseason concerns. They've also repaired what was an erratic kicking game, benefited from halfback Soph Long's return (he didn't play last season) and altered the offensive approach following the graduation of Lee Alexanderson, who rushed for a school-record and Section 1-leading 1,507 yards as a senior.

"Lee last year carried the brunt of things. But this year our quarterback is a year older and year (more) experienced," Walsh said of Rich. "He's done a nice job. He's really come up with a lot of plays for us and runs the offense very efficiently. He's punted the ball well, too. Our kicking game has really helped us this year (
Paul Rabito
is the placekicker) and we've only had two turnovers in five games. Every game we've won the turnover battle and that's always big."

The Bears were 1-3 last season when Rich came off the bench against Poughkeepsie in the fifth game to replace the injured
Justin Kelleher
. Brewster won 25-12 and Rich, a still a sophomore, went on to gain valuable varsity experience - not to mention the trust of his coach and teammates.

"He was forced into the mix in a difficult situation," Walsh said. "For most of the season we didn't ask too much of him, just to run the offense. We didn't ask him to throw a lot or run a lot.

"We knew he was a very good athlete, a real smart kid, a kid with a lot of poise. But we thought he was one year away. But he really came on and got better each week and we ended up winning six of seven."

Said Rich: "Just the game time experience helped a lot. It was pretty big getting in some reps last year. This year I came out confident."

Indeed, Rich has been in control this fall, completing 34 of 60 passes for 508 yards and six touchdowns with only one interception.

Even Kelleher admits his injury was a blessing in disguise. He'd never been a quarterback before and was only doing it to help the team.

"We didn't know how great Jeff was until I went down and it turned out great," said Kelleher, who is back playing tight end on offense, his preferred position.

Brewster's strength has been its defense. One of 14 teams in Class A (seven in League A-A, seven in League A-B), the Bears have allowed only 42 points, the second-fewest to Nyack's 23. They've given up six touchdowns, two of which occurred in the final minute with the starters on the bench.

"We do a team pursuit drill in practice and really emphasize getting to the ball," Kelleher said. "Coach said it's one of the fastest defenses he's had."

The rapid improvement of a refurbished defensive line has been critical. The ends are Kelleher, a converted linebacker, and
Matt Parks
, whose previous experience was limited to offensive tackle. The defensive tackles are
Anthony Jennette
, who wasn't on the team last season, and
Blake Converse
, a lacrosse player hasn't played football in several years.

"The other night (against Fox Lane) they played very well," Walsh said. "They've been a real pleasant surprise. They've come a long way in a short period of time."

Inside linebackers Ari Long and Gross join outside linebackers Taylor and Alexanderson to form an aggressive quartet. Last week,
Tim Capalbo
filled in admirably for Gross, who was sidelined because a log fell on his leg in a BOCES class.

Veteran cornerbacks Rabito and Cohen are joined in the secondary by Rich, one of the team's top tacklers.

"He's probably played as well at safety as he has at quarterback, if not better," Walsh said. "He really has a nose for the ball."

This week's challenge is stopping the straight ahead rushing attack of Greeley. It relies on halfback
Burke St. John
and fullback
James Kiernan
, who gained a career-high 151 yards on 21 carries in last week's 18-13 win over Beacon.

The Quakers alternated a pair of jayvee call-ups at quarterback in that game after losing their top two signal callers to injuries two weeks ago.

"They're a big team and they run right at you. They pound the ball," Walsh said. "It's going to be a challenge for our defense."

As their unblemished record suggests, the Bears have met every challenge so far.